Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Bloody Skeleton

Our next feature drink contains a gin
that most Americans have never experienced, genever gin. The version
of genever we are using is Bols which is now on the U.S. market. Made
from a distillation of 60% malt wine with herbs such as anise,
angelica, and coriander, Bols genever is malty with a hint of pear
and other fruits not unlike Irish poteen (Irish potato moonshine).
Using a secret recipe from 1820, Bols genever is only made in the
Netherlands and its secret distillate ingredient is fiercely
hush-hush.

Now, if you’ve had gin and like it,
genever is nothing like it. It is much more like a rich brown spirit
such as whiskey than a hotter, sharper conventional gin. Because of
that, it makes a much better pouring spirit than sipping one. Aaron
and I set to work tasting a few genever cocktails based on old
recipes and came up with the Bloody Skeleton. No, the drink isn’t
blood red or anything; I just happened to spill some Peychaud’s on
a skeleton cocktail napkin while making the drink on a Scary Movie
Night, thus the name stuck. So if you are in the mood to try a new
spirit, give Bols genever a whirl.

Bloody Skeleton

Holly's Originals

2 ounces of Bols genever gin

1 ounce of green Chartreuse

1/2 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Dash Paychaud's bitters

Add all ingredients into a cocktail
shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Hit it with
a dash of Peychaud’s bitters, accenting the anise in the spirit.
Garnish with a lemon peel or fresh sprig of rosemary if you like.